Inside the Phillies with MLB.com beat writer Todd Zolecki

CC (Cliff and Chase) Beats CC

How good were Cliff Lee and Chase Utley last night in Game 1 of the World Series?

Consider:

Lee, who threw a six-hit complete game in a 6-1 victory over the Yankees, is 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA (two earned runs in 33 1/3 innings) in four starts this postseason. He has the seventh-best ERA of any pitcher in a single postseason in baseball history. Waite Hoyt (1921), Carl Hubbell (1933), Christy Mathewson (1905) and Kenny Rogers (2006) had 0.00 ERAs. Sandy Koufax had a 0.38 ERA in 1965 and Harry Brecheen had a 0.45 ERA in 1946. Lee is next, although he is the only one of those pitchers to throw more than 30 innings in a single postseason.

Utley hit a pair of home runs against Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia to join Babe Ruth as the only two people to hit two home runs against a left-handed pitcher in a World Series game.

Lee pitched the first complete game in the World Series since Marlins right-hander Josh Beckett threw one against the Yankees in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series. Lee was just the third pitcher in World Series history to have no walks and 10 strikeouts in a game. Pittsburgh’s Deacon Phillippe (Game 1 of the 1903 World Series against the Red Sox) and Brooklyn’s Don Newcombe (Game 1 of the 1949 World Series against the Yankees) were the others.

Utley became the third player in Phillies World Series history to have a multi-homer game. Lenny Dykstra hit two against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 4 of the 1993 World Series at Veterans Stadium, and Ryan Howard hit two against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the 2008 World Series at Citizens Bank Park.

Utley has reached base safely in 26 consecutive postseason games to set a Major League record.

The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Eighteen of the last 21 teams to win Game 1 have won the World Series.

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24 Comments

C’mon admit it. Everybody knew that was EXACTLY what would happen! Actually, when Chase hit those homers, I thought it would be a 2-0 game.
It’s remarkable how dominant Lee was last night. The look-away popfly to the mound and the line drive up the middle were instant classics. Let’s hope Pedro can keep it up tonight!

Didn’t you think Chase’s at bat for his first HR was reminiscent of Myers at bat against CC last year? Down in the count then making it a full count, fouling off a number of pitches, running up his pitch count…..then the line drive HR to the RF seats. It was a beautiful thing!

Karen…..A reporter asked Chase about that in the post-game interviews. She wanted to know if he “took a page from Brett Myers”. Chase actually chuckled. Yes, chuckled! LOL!
Another stat you missed, Zo…….Chase HR’s were the first, in post-season, at Yankees Stadium.

After last nights great game we now know a few more things about the Phillies and the yanks:
1) CC is aply named. “C” the first HR by Chase, now “C” the second one.
2) CC may be lights out when pitching against the rest of MLB, but the Phillies have beaten him in every post season game they’ve faced him in
3) The problem this season wasn’t Lidge, or Madson, or whomever Charlie was trying out as the closer that day, the problem was the 9th inning. Even Lee can’t get through one without giving up a run, a hit and an error
4) Lee is a great fielder, Catch that behind the back grab, or the “ho-hum” catch of the little pop-up?
5) Pedro Feliz has lost his bat and does’nt know where to find it
The Yankee’s manager is clueless as to what moves to make during a game.
6) We now have home field advantage. Phils in 6

The national media just doesn’t get it. The Phillies are an unflappable team and they don’t care where or when. Tonight will probably be a bullpen game and we already saw what the Yankees got. Joba ‘pitch-count’ Chamberlain is hiding under the bench, shaking in his flat-brimmed hat. The bridge to Mariano has already collapsed and all he can do is watch. Phil Hughes? Please….
Pedro on stage tonight. I can’t wait. He’s devatating with house money.

It happens so often that is almost cliche but when the bases where jammed for Ibanez the second time with two outs I was thinking to myself that Phillies then had the Yankees “right where they want them”. But then again I might have been getting ahead of myself because I do not remember if Ibanez had two stikes during that AB. Anyone?

While we celebrate Cliff’s dominent game, here is a e-mail from a friend in Cleveland…you can feel his pain…

Well Phillies fan, I hope you’re happy this morning.

I’m just physically sick after watching that game last night. MY Two Indians pitchers combining for 16 innings, 2 ER, 16 K and only 3 Walks. Those were supposed to be our pitchers!

But really it was Cliff Lee that was the heartbreaker. That guy was by-far my favorite player and many in Cleveland would agree with me. As I watched him mow down the Yankees last night, I asked, what did we get for him? A bunch of questionable suspects with either limited upside or injuries.

I laughed as people complained about Charlie Manual (another former Indian) selecting Lee over Hammels to start Game 1 in the Division series. Cole Hamels is a nice pitcher, but he’ll never be Cliff Lee. Lee is an assassin and the guy has no nerves.

Enjoy the 3-5 World Series rings you’re going to win with that team while I watch 3 years of losing seasons filled with games that have 8,000 apathetic people “filling” Jacobs Field.

Did you ever see this article in the Inquirer? If not, it’s a good read about Lee. It was written by the Indians beat writer and published in 2008 and then the Inquirer re-ran it after Philly picked up Lee…

I never thought Cliff was a consolation prize. He hasn’t been quite as dominant as Halladay has, but it’s pretty damned close.
And don’t despair Jimmymack, I think at the very least Marson will turn out to be a great player, and Donald will be a serviceable everyday SS. Carrasco is erratic, so who knows with him, and Knapp’s shoulder might explode. But at least you got 2 good pieces!

Phylan, not to ruin your day, but Marson will be a back up at best. Donald will be a super utility guy (ala Brunlett), Carrasco got bombed in his first Major league start and Knapp is too young to drink, no less really know what he’s capable of yet. The Phillies, on the other hand, Got Lee who is taking us to the promised land-again!!!

Really? What are you basing that on? Ah that’s right, I forgot, one cannot appreciate a trade unless everything you gave up was worthless. Thanks f_i_j, between this, calling the Yankees the “Yuckees” in every post, and misspelling pretty much every player’s name you attempt, you’ve really brought up the discourse here.

First of all, the Yankees are the Yuckees just like the Mets are the Mutts–get used to it. As for the trade, I apreciate giving up good players to get good players (the astros trade to get Lidge as an example). In the Indians deal, however, Rube made a steal and should have it ackowledged. he gave up nothing to get one of the top 5 pitchers in the game and the RHB we needed all year. As for spelling, I’m guitly as charged. Ask MLB to introduce spell check for Ignoramuses like me

agree. and I say we ca’t know how knapp will turn out. If all 4 of them are HoFers i wouldn’t care, it was a great trade for us. It’s just a better trade because none of them, with the exeption of maybe Knapp, will turn into decent big leaguers.

I wonder who was driving the “getaway” car when we stole Lee from the Indians?! (LOL!) Never thought it was a consolation prize for Halladay. Also who knows if Halladay would’ve been as dominate in a Phils uniform. I wonder if he’s lack luster post trade deadline performance had to do with still being in a Jays uniform. Let’s extend General Lee ASAP after the parade!

Phylan is right. I can’t believe any of you guys are dissing our former minor league “stars” now. I was looking forward to seeing ALL of them play for the Phils within the next few years. I think they are struggling in Cleveland for two reasons: (1) they were traded from the best organization any minor leaguer could dream about playing for to a struggling franchise that expects way too much of and puts too much pressure on its minor leaguers; (2)they went from a winning culture to a losing one. I believe they will all make the adjustment to this “culture shock” and play really well next year for Cleveland. I’m pulling for all of them. I will never believe that we “stole” Cliff Lee or that Marson, Donald, Carrasco, and Knapp are trash.

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